Taking photographs often requires stabilizing the camera, especially when photographing at low light levels, or when using a timer. This has traditionally been accomplished using a tripod; however, a tripod has several limitations. First, it must be set up, which takes time and may result in losing a photo opportunity. Second, a tripod requires a flat area to anchor each of its three legs. This can pose an insurmountable obstacle on particularly irregular surfaces. Finally, tripods can be cumbersome, making them awkward to transport.
The prior art teaches the use of a cushion to stabilize a camera. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,606,524, Conee teaches a cushion filled with free flowing particulate and means to maintain the cushion's shape. Likewise, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,162,696, Sprung teaches a bag to support the camera which also forms a camera case. These inventions partially overcome the shortcomings of tripods because they eliminate set-up time, and enable the user to place the camera on irregular surfaces.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,350,147 to Paganus provides an omnipositional pod for supporting a camera. The pod of Paganus is generally rectangular or oval in shape, and is filled with fluid material comprising free flowing solid particles. The generally rectangular shape of the Paganus pod, however, does not provide optimum support for the lens portion of a conventional camera. Further, the uniform rectangular or oval shape of Paganus results in a tendency of the internal flowing particles to return to the general shape of the pod, regardless of whatever shape the pod may have been manipulated into. While this tendency to resume its usual shape makes the Paganus pod stable once it has settled, it also makes it more difficult to manipulate the pod into a desired shape which may be maintained sufficiently over time, to improve the aim of a camera.
Based on the foregoing, there is a need for a camera support pod which will provide several useful features. The pod would provide optimal support for the camera lens, in order to facilitate aiming. A related feature of the pod would be that it would be easily manipulated into a desired shape to facilitate aiming of the camera, and would thereafter tend to hold the selected shape over time, so that the aim of the camera does not appreciably change. Finally, there is also a need for a cushion support for a camera which is suitable for supporting a camera on a thin surface such as a car window edge. For example, camera users often desire to shoot pictures from a car, and want to rest the camera lens on the glass pane of a partially opened car window. Without a cushion, such a surface is too hard, and may cause vibration if the car is moving or even if the car engine is running. Additionally, currently used support cushions have a tendency to slip off of a car window when used for support thereon.